UHK Scientists shoot lasers at apple trees to help orchard keepers

“Our aim is to be able to promptly and efficiently identify trees that are exposed to nitrogen stress, i.e. nitrogen shortage or excess, which hinders their growth and the maturing of fruit, over large surface areas,” the lead researcher, Associate Professor Jan Šlégr, outlines the project.

To this end, they will analyse pictures taken by a broad variety of cameras, both multi-spectral and mono-spectral, or photodiodes attached to flying drones. “We will shoot laser beams at tree leaves, record the wave lengths reflected back at drone sensors and then analyse the images,” Professor Šlégr continues.

Researchers will then review the recorded images separately and develop algorithms to assess the condition of the trees from the recordings made by the various cameras. The data may also be used to monitor the yield and the development of fruit and plant hydration.

Researchers must also come up with novel ideas on how to mount lasers and cameras on the drones.  “We are currently at the prototyping stage. So far, we keep rather close to the ground, forgive the pun – before drone-testing apple trees, we will take them down to the strawberry fields, where there is nothing to get hung about,” Jan Šlégr concludes.

The TA CZ Zeta project called Design of Non-Destructive Methods for Analysing Nitrogen Stress in Fruit Farming stands for a collaboration of experts from the Faculty of Science (UHK) and the Pomology Research Institute in Holovousy, and a follow-up of their joint success in previous projects. Under- and post-graduate students from the FS UHK will also partake in the project.